If you plan to retire in February of 2020, at age 66, does it make sense to pay into SS fund January or February of 2020. Self employed, so can adjust pay to achieve this. Thanks

Hi,

That depends on how high your earnings would be, and the amount of the lowest of your current top 35 wage-indexed earnings years. Your Social Security retirement benefit amount will be based on an average of your highest 35 years of wage-indexed earnings, and you can raise your benefit rate by replacing one of your previous highest 35 years with a higher year of earnings.

I should also point out that you can't pay Social Security taxes voluntarily, nor can you legally avoid paying Social Security taxes on covered earnings. You can only pay Social Security taxes and receive the appropriate credits if you work in Social Security covered employment or have a net profit from self-employment. Our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) would allow you to enter your projected current and future year earnings so that you could gauge the effect that those earnings would have on your benefit rate.

Best, Jerry